one cat two cats!
by aarioyna
Summary: A new girl moves from Kyoto, and she's another member of the Zodiac! Another Cat, to be precise. this is my first story, so please rate it!
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Fruits Basket, and I'm not taking any of the writer's ideas.

"Tohru, have you made breakfast yet?" Kyo called from the stairs. Wiping sweat from her forehead, Tohru smiled up at Kyo and said,

"Yes, just about. It'll be ready in a minute." Tohru heard a crash from behind her, and she whirled around. She saw Yuki, fast asleep on the ground. He was already in his school uniform, but was dirty, even though Tohru had done the laundry the other day. Tohru saw how Yuki had fallen; he had tripped over the trashcan.

"Damn rat; how can someone so strong be so lazy." Kyo said as he came downstairs and saw Yuki snoring lightly. Instantly, Yuki leapt up and punched Kyo across the room and through the screen door; after landing on a plant and squishing it, Kyo leapt up and launched himself at Yuki.

"Damn rat, I thought you were asleep!" Kyo growled, preparing to punch Yuki. At that second, Tohru walked in front of Kyo and Yuki, carrying a tray of food. CRASH! POOF! Kyo and Tohru landed in a tangled heap, Tohru covered in food and Kyo in cat form.

"Stupid cat, now we're going to be late for school," Yuki said. "Are you alright, Honda-san?" he said, helping Tohru to her feet.

"Yes, but the food… I will cook some more!" Tohru started to rush back into the kitchen, But Shigure, coming from his own room, stopped her.

"Tohru-kun, don't worry about breakfast; I'll give you guys some money so you can buy some on the way to school. You go and change now, and you too, Yuki." At that moment, Kyo turned back into a human, and Tohru ran back to her room.

"Tohru, there's a new kid at school…" Hana-chan said as Tohru joined her friends in the classroom.

"Really? Where is she sitting?" Tohru asked. Uo-chan pointed her out.

"At lunch, we'll ask her to sit with us and Prince Yuki and Kyon. It's always hard to be a new kid at a high-school." Uo-chan leaned back in her chair and yawned.

"I feel the same waves that I get from the rest of the Sohmas…" Hana-chan said. Tohru looked closely at the new girl. She had long, tawny hair that was in a braid that fell down her back. She was she was tall, and held herself high. Tohru wondered how she could have the same waves as the other Sohmas, since there were no more zodiac animals that she could be.

"What's her name?" Tohru asked.

"Mishke… I don't remember what her last name was…" Hana-chan said.

At lunch, Tohru grabbed Mishke before she sat down by herself.

"You shouldn't sit alone! You can sit with me and my friends!" Tohru said, pulling Mishke to where her friends were waiting.

"Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, this is Mishke-san! She just started coming to our school!" Tohru said, pulling Mishke down to sit next to her. Mishke smiled warmly.

"Where did you move from, Mishke-san?" Yuki asked.

"I moved here from Kyoto. But I was born here in Tokyo." Mishke said. Her voice sounded like a feminine version of Kyo's. Yuki looked at her curiously, but the girls didn't notice; Tohru, Hana-chan, and Uo-chan were deep in a conversation about something only girls were interested in.

Shigure and Hatori were sitting around the kotatsu in Shigure's house, talking about Kyo and Yuki.

"Ever since Tohru started living here, they've begun to get along, to some extent." Shigure looked sadly at his busted door. "But it's better than before, when they beat each other at the sound of their breath.

"Speaking of Kyo, have you heard anything about…_her_?" Hatori lowered his voice to a whisper.

"No. actually, I heard rumors that she moved out of Kyoto, but I haven't heard anything, not since Kyo's mother died." Shigure leaned back and stretched his arms. "I doubt we'll here anything from her father, too, since he doesn't want any affiliation with the Sohma's." Shigure and Hatori were silent; thinking about a girl that they only knew existed due to murmurs, murmurs that could very well be wrong, granted the mystery that surrounded her.

As Kyo and Tohru were walking home from school, they saw Mishke leaning against a wall, out of breath, as if she had been running from something. She had a bruise rising on her cheek. They heard a shout.

"Dammit Mishke, where the hell are you?" Mishke turned her head wildly, looking for a place to hide.

"Mishke!" Kyo called. Mishke turned, and saw Kyo and Tohru waving at her, beckoning her to them. She started to run towards them, but at that second a man burst around the corner and grabbed her wrist. Pulling her back, the man threw her to the ground and started beating her viciously.

"You think you can run away? Well, this'll keep you in check!" the man landed a kick right between the ribs. Mishke screamed in pain. Kyo ran at the man and punched him in the nose. The man sprawled back, clutching his bleeding nose. He saw Kyo and Tohru bending over Mishke. Kyo bent to pick her up.

"I wouldn't touch her if I were you," the man said through the blood running down his face. "She has a medical condition that if you touch her, she transforms into a hideous creature."

"Well, she can't be as bad as you," Kyo said, bending to pick up the prone from lying on the ground.

"You want proof? Well, watch this!" the man shoved Tohru to the side and gave Mishke a hug. There was a loud POOF, and when the smoke cleared, there was a tabby cat lying on the ground.

End of chapter One


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own fruits basket, and this is my own idea.

Kyo and Tohru looked in astonishment at where Mishke had been laying. In her place was an adorable tabby cat, covering her eyes with her paws.

"Nooo, Kyo-kun, Tohru-kun, don't look at me, please!" the man who had hugged Mishke was laughing manically.

"See, didn't I say she was a freak? If anyone of the opposite sex touches her, she turns into a cat. She such was a disgrace to her original family that this… creature's mother begged for my wife to take it away. Her real surname is Sohma. They're the biggest family in Tokyo. I was under oath not to reveal this to anyone, but I revealed their family's secret to two complete strangers. Yes, her family turns into the animals of the zodiac! They're freaks! Freaks!!!" the man continued to laugh manically until he noticed that Tohru was bending down to pick up Mishke. "Keep away from her, girl! Don't touch her!" He went to slap her, but Kyo got between them and punched him again, this time punching him hard enough that he flew into a pile of trash.

"Don't you even think about touching Tohru. I don't know who you are, or how you know about the Sohma secret, but that has nothing to do with this. We'll deal with you later. Tohru," Kyo turned to where Tohru was kneeling. "Pick up Mishke, and we'll take her to Shigure's place. That's closer than the main house, or Shisou's. Mishke could be hurt."

"No, Kyo-kun, I'm fine. I've dealt with worse pain before, and if I transform while Tohru-kun's carrying me, she'll get hurt too." Mishke attempted to stand on all four paws, but, she couldn't put any pressure on the right hind leg. Kyo knelt next to her.

"You don't have to fear us; we already know about the Zodiac curse. We'll get Hatori to bandage your leg. It's alright." Tohru looked at Kyo. His normally gruff voice was gentle, like when he was talking about martial arts or something else important to him.

POOF!! Mishke turned back into a human, completely naked. She wiped away tears that clouded her vision.

"Kyo-kun, you don't have to be so kind to me… my stepfather's right, I am a freak, a monster. What kind of normal person would turn into cat, when hugged by a guy?"

"Kyo, Honda-san, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home by now? Student council just finished." Yuki came from around the bend. He then saw Mishke. "Mishke-san, what are you doing here?!" Mishke covered her face with her hands again.

"Shut up, rat. Help me get her to Shigure's. She hurt her ankle." Mishke's ankle had started swelling, and the bruises that the man had inflicted had started turning purple.

"Fine, whatever." Yuki and Kyo left while Tohru helped Mishke get back into her clothes. Then, supporting Mishke between the two of them, Yuki and Kyo helped Mishke walk to Shigure's house.

"Kyo-kun, Yuki-kun, who is that? What happened to her?!" Shigure exclaimed when they walked into the house. Mishke looked down at her feet.

"This is Mishke. She just transferred to our class from Kyoto. Could you call Hatori over here, so he could bandage her leg?"

"You know that Hatori doesn't treat people who aren't in the family, Kyo. What makes you think he'll make an exception?" Kyo and Tohru exchanged looks.

"We'll explain when Hatori gets here." Was all Kyo would say. After helping Mishke to a chair, Kyo then went outside. Tohru faced Mishke.

"Mishke-san, is there anything that you'd like to eat? I could cook it for you!" Tohru tried to be her normal, cheerful self. Mishke looked up at her.

"Tohru, aren't you… disgusted by me?" Mishke asked. "I turn into a cat! My stepmother and stepfather always argued about me, and that's what led to my stepmother's sickness! I'm worthless… my true family abandoned me, and my stepfather… I don't deserve to be treated with kindness!" Mishke started sobbing again, and Tohru gave her a hug.

"No, Mishke-san, you're not worthless! Everyone has a reason for living, and everyone has someone that cares for them. Your stepparents weren't those people for you. You can still find that person! And everyone should be treated with kindness, even those possessed by vengeful spirits." Mishke clenched her eyes shut, and hugged Tohru back. When they finally pulled apart, both Tohru and Mishke had tears running down their eyes. Tohru wiped away her eyes hurriedly. She smiled at Mishke. "So, what would you like to eat?" Mishke smiled back.

"If it's not too hard to make… Nira-Tama." Yuki, who had been eavesdropping, held back a laugh, and Tohru heard Kyo fall into some bushes.

"What is it with people and leeks?!" they all heard Kyo shout.

When Hatori arrived, Mishke was in a better mood. They had all eaten dinner, and were sitting around the table.

"Hello, Haa-san! We're glad you could come!" Shigure said.

"This had better really be an emergency, or else I'll turn around and walk right back to the main house." Hatori then saw Mishke. He dropped his bag in astonishment. "You… I thought that you lived in Kyoto." Kyo jumped out of his chair.

"Hatori, do you know her? What's going on?!"

"Kyo… you do know that children possessed by a vengeful spirit are born, they're born two months early?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kyo asked. Hatori had picked up his bag and was examining Mishke's ankle.

"Twins are very rare in the Sohma family. And there are never twins if one of the children is possessed by a spirit." Hatori began wrapping the ankle in a splint. "What I'm saying is that you and Mishke are twins, the first pair of twins cursed by a zodiac creature. You, Kyo, happen to be more cursed than Mishke." Everyone in the room became silent. Tohru, who had been handing a cup of tea to Yuki, stopped and held the glass suspended over Yuki's open hand. Yuki, in turn, gawked at Hatori, who was expressionlessly holding an icepack to Mishke's ankle. Kyo finally broke the silence.

"So… we're twins. How could something like that happen? Why'd you separate us?" Kyo pounded his fist on the table, leaving a dent. "Why the hell did you do that?! Mom… she was always sad… was that why? Because she had two children born the year of the cat?"

"Your mother had any memories of Mishke suppressed. She wasn't allowed to keep Mishke. You wouldn't understand, Kyo. I was forbidden to talk about it, or else I would have told you years ago. I'm sorry." Hatori packed his bag, and prepared to leave. "I'm going to have to report to Akito that Kyo's twin has remerged. You'll probably be hearing from me again soon. Sorry for delivering the bad news." Hatori was about to open the door, but someone had already opened the door. Mishke's stepfather stood outside the door, grinning madly.

"I'm here for my daughter," He said as he rached towards Hatori.

End of chapter two


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own fruits Basket, and this my own original idea

Chapter three

"I'm here for my daughter," Mishke's stepfather said as he reached for Hatori. Hatori stepped out of the way as the man fell face forward into the ground. Kyo walked over to him and pulled him upright.

"He's drunk! He's passed out drunk!" Kyo exclaimed. Mishke looked down, ashamed.

"He always like this; arrives home drunker than a skunk, and then beats whoever is in his way." Kyo looked expressionlessly at Mishke, his sister. The idea was a strange one to him. _Now there are two that will be scorned by the Sohma family_, Kyo thought bitterly to himself. He looked back at Hatori, who was kneeling next to the fallen man.

"Haa-san, I think that, for the moment, we should let Mishke-san stay at our house." Shigure approached Mishke and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Her 'guardian' is unfit to care for her at the moment, and I wouldn't trust one who so easily revealed the Sohma secret." Hatori nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Actually," Hatori brushed his hair out of his eyes, "I think I'll take him to the Sohma estate. I would like to talk to him when he sobers up, and I might be ordered to suppress his memories." Mishke's stepfather began stirring.

"I'm here for Mishke," he croaked. "I won't leave without that brat. I've cared for her for at least fifteen years, and this is how she repays me?" Hatori attempted to keep him from standing, but the stepfather merely brushed him away and grabbed at Kyo, who was still towering over him.

"You look like Mishke. You must be her twin, the other cat, the one who was more cursed than the other cat. I saw your true form, once." He leered at Kyo, who look utmost disgust turned into one of horror. "Shall I reveal it to your sister?" he reached towards Kyo's bracelet, but before Kyo could put up resistance, Tohru ran into the room and, in an attempt to stop the man from taking away his bracelet, tripped over the rug, and crashed into the man several things happened at once. The man, in anger, shoved her away and pushed her into Hatori, whom caught her and, in the process, turned into a seahorse. Kyo yelled in anger and punched at Mishke's stepfather, who was knocked cold once more. Mishke, who had attempted to stand and stop her stepfather, lost her balance and fell into Shigure and Yuki who had been standing next to her. When all the clouds cleared, everyone except Tohru and Kyo were in animal form. Hatori was gasping for air, and Tohru ran to the bath to fill it with water while Yuki and Shigure examined themselves.

"Hatori, why did we transform? I thought that we could hug people of the opposite sex if they're in the zodiac as well." Hatori didn't answer until Tohru had dumped him into the cold bath water. After taking some deep breaths, he said

"Mishke may not transform the way Kyo does, but she is super sensitive. Other members of the zodiac cannot hug her. We are not sure why, but that is a reason why it was decided to leave Mishke-san in the care of Kyo's aunt, who was moving to Kyoto." There was a loud poof, and Tohru ran out of the room as everyone changed.

The next day…

"Kyo-kun!! It's time to leave for school!" Tohru shouted up the stairs. When he didn't answer, Tohru went outside and climbed to the roof. Sure enough, Kyo was lying on the roof, arm covering his eyes from the rising sun."

"Kyo-kun, it's time for school. If we don't leave soon, we'll be late."

"I wonder what happened to that man?" was all Kyo would say. The night before, after all the hubabaloo died down, Hatori dragged Mishke's stepfather to the car and drove him off to the main Sohma house.

"Kyo, worrying won't make anything change. Mishke-san is waiting for us, so let's go." Kyo sat up at Mishke's name.

"Is she going to school? How can she walk?"

"Shigure-san found some crutches, and she's rambling about the house with them. Mishke-san said that she had gone to school with a hurt ankle before, and it was no problem." Sighing, Kyo climbed down from the roof and went to his room to grab his bag while Tohru went back to the kitchen. Mishke was there, waiting for her.

"Tohru, are we leaving now?" Mishke expertly swung around with her crutches so Tohru could pass her to get her bag. Kyo came down a second later.

"Are we leaving or what?" he asked. "Yuki must have already left. Why didn't he wait?"

"Yuki said he had some things to do as student council president." Shigure-san walked into the room holding a newspaper. "Be careful at school today. You don't want Mishke to accidentally crash into someone and transform."

"Don't worry, Shigure-san, I'll be careful," Mishke said. They then walked outside to school, with Shigure watching them.

At school…

When Mishke arrived at school, everyone immediately bombarded her with questions.

"What did you do to your leg?"

"How can you walk?"

"Where were you from again?"

"HOW DARE YOU WALK TO SCHOOL WITH A RELATIVE OF OUR PRECIOUS YUKI-KUN???!!!" that last question was asked by an enraged Minami-san. Mishke, who had been ignoring most of the other questions, looked up at this one.

"Is Yuki-kun very popular?" at this question, all the girls started swooning and gushing about the 'famous' Yuki-kun.

"He's a prince!"

"He has hair the color of a shooting star…"

"He's such a gentleman…" Mishke was silenced by this outburst, and hobbled away as the girls continued ranting. Tohru, Uo-chan, and Hana-chan were waiting for her at the end of the hall.

"All of the girls are obsessed with Yuki. He has a fan club called 'The Prince Yuki Fan Club'. They can be ruthless." Uo-chan said. She glanced around. "Where is Yuki today, anyway? He normally walks with you."

"Shigure-san said that he had student council today." Replied Tohru

"No… he doesn't." Hana-chan said. "When I saw him earlier, he was distracted. He had swirling waves…"

"I wonder what's up with him." Tohru said as all the girls walked to class. Mishke looked over her shoulder in time to see a bit of silver hair flash past into the next hall.

"Umm, Yuki-kun?" Yuki looked up at Mishke, who had hobbled over to his desk. "May I talk to you alone? It's important." Yuki glanced at Kyo, who was across the room, talking to some of the other boys in their class.

"Won't Kyo mind? I mean, he is…" Yuki lowered his voice. "your brother. Why don't you want to talk here?"

"Because I don't want other people to overhear." Mishke said. Sighing, Yuki stood up and let Mishke lead him out of the room, not noticing that Kyo had stopped talking and was watching him leave the room. When they were in a deserted hall, Yuki said,

"What do you want to talk about?" Mishke looked around nervously, and then whispered quietly,

"Ever since you learned that I was Kyo's twin sister, and a cat, you've been acting… distant. Why?"

"You have heard the legend of the zodiac, haven't you?" Mishke nodded her head. "Then why aren't you bitter? Why don't you hate me? I'm the one that told you the banquet was a day later. I'm the reason you're not in the zodiac."

"Why would I hold that against you?" When Mishke asked that question, Yuki looked at her in astonishment. "It's a stupid legend. Why must we hate those who did something another animal despised?"

"We are the legend! I want you to hate me! Hate me! I ruined your life! I'm the rat!!! Hate me, the way your brother does!" Yuki was almost shouting. Mishke took a step back. Yuki whirled around. "Don't talk to me anymore, Mishke-san. Think of this as a taste of the scorn the cat feels." Mishke sank to the ground, too stunned to stand. Yuki walked back to the classroom, and whisked past Kyo, who grabbed his shoulder and turned Yuki back around.

"What did you say to Mishke? Where is she?" He asked. Yuki looked Kyo in the eye.

"I told her the same thing you told me." Yuki watched Kyo's eyes narrow, then widen in anger and shock.

"Mishke!" Kyo started running outside the classroom, but their teacher, Mayu-sensei, stopped him.

"What is so important that you must skip class?" she asked him. Kyo glared up at her.

"Yes, I have to go see someone." He said.

"Well, you can see that person after class. I'm sure you can wait for awhile." She pushed Kyo towards his desk, and then went up to the board. She was about to begin the lesson, when someone knocked on the door. Mayu-sensei went to open the door. Standing in the doorframe was Hatori.

"Mayu, is Mishke-san in here? I need to take her somewhere." He said. Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru both tensed up. Standing behind Hatori was Akito, the head of the Sohma family.

"You need not ask for her, Hatori. I already found her." Akito pulled Mishke into view. She was looking down towards the ground, and her eyes were red, as if she had been crying. "Kyo, I would be very pleased if you came to the main house later. We have much to discuss." Akito then began walking away, leaving Mishke with Hatori.

"I'm sorry for disturbing the class. Please, continue." Hatori shut the door, and Kyo's last glimpse of Mishke was a flash of her hair. Kyo sat, stiff in his chair, until he heard the revving of a car. Ignoring Mayu's protests, he ran to the window, and saw Hatori driving off, with Mishke and Akito in the back. He yanked open the window, and leapt out after the speeding car.

End of chapter three.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry it took me so long to update! Here's the next installment!

Chapter four

Kyo, running as fast as he could, attempted to overtake the car that was speeding away from his school. As if Hatori or Akito knew that they were being followed, the car picked up speed and left Kyo in the dust. Falling to his knees, Kyo stared at the ground in shock and anger.

_No… Mishke…_

"Mishke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kyo shouted with all his might at the sky. Pounding the ground with his fists, he beat the hard earth until his knuckles were sore and bleeding and he was gasping for breath.

"Kyo-Kun? What are you doing here? Are you skipping class?" Kyo looked up at the voice of a fellow Zodiac member; Kagura stood in front of him, leaning down. In Kagura's eyes, he saw those of Mishke, and began beating the ground once more. With a firm (or, in Kagura's case, brutal) grip, Kagura stopped Kyo from pounding the ground.

"What did the earth do to you? What's wrong?" She asked. Kyo shook away her hand.

"Leave me alone, Kagura! You don't know anything!" Kyo shouted before whirling away to run in the direction of the main house.

"Kyo-kun! Don't you dare run away!" Kagura grabbed the collar of Kyo's shirt and yanked him back. In front of a convenience store, Kagura proceeded to beat Kyo senseless. "Tell… me… what's… wrong!!" she emphasized each word with a punch.

"Kyo-kun! Kagura-san!" Tohru came running, and Yuki followed behind. "Kyo-kun, all you alright?" Kyo sat up, weakened from his beating and from running after Akito. When he saw Yuki, a rage built up in his chest. It burst when Yuki said: "Where did Akito take Mishke?" Kyo grabbed Yuki's collar.

"Where the hell do you think he took Mishke? What did you tell her?! She didn't come back inside after talking to you! It's your fault! Everything is"

"The rats fault. I know." Yuki finished Kyo's sentence. "I told her the same thing you told me, years ago. If she's to live in the Zodiac, she might as well become used to what the cat experiences."

"But, Yuki-kun… you're being judgmental, like Hatsuharu-san was when he hated you." Tohru spoke up. "You assume that you should hate each other because the original zodiac creatures hated each other. But that's not true. Before you learned that Mishke-san was a cat, you liked her. Don't put too much in store with the legend." When Tohru put it that way, Yuki knew she was right. Burying his face in his hands, he murmured quietly to himself: "How could I do the same thing as Kyo, or Hatsuharu…?"

"Who's Mishke-san?" Kagura asked.

"Kyo-kun's twin sister. She had been raised in Kyoto, but her father brought her back to Tokyo." Tohru answered. Kyo lay back on the ground, staring at the sky.

"What should we do now? Should we go to the main house now, or wait?" Kyo asked, more to himself rather than the others. But they all answered unanimously: "Let's go to the main house!"

Meanwhile, on the way to the Sohma estate:

"So, this is the girl the man told me about…" Akito examined Mishke critically. "My, she is ugly. Then again, all women are ugly in my opinion, so to others, she may be lovely…" Akito was about to stroke Mishke's cheek, but Mishke pulled away. Akito scowled and grabbed at a handful of hair. Ignoring Mishke's cries, she yanked her head back and stared into Mishke's eyes.

"Who do you think you are, fighting against the head of the family? You're receiving more attention then the cat deserves, even if you're a partial one. Learn respect." Akito let go of Mishke's hair and stared out the window. Mishke sat up and massaged her scalp.

"If the head of the family is a whiny brat, I don't see why I should show him respect," Mishke whispered under her breath. If Akito heard he didn't show it, for they had just arrived at the Sohma estate. Parking the car, Hatori opened the door for Akito, who strode out towards a dark, empty room. All the fibers in Mishke's body froze when she saw who was standing inside the dark room. But she refused to let her stepfather see how fearful she was. Holding her head high, Mishke climbed out of the car and faced her stepfather, but didn't look in his eyes. He grinned horribly and lightly pushed on Mishke's shoulder. Unable to stand on her left foot, Mishke fell back onto the ground. She back tears of rage as Akito and her stepfather laughed down at her.

"That's all one can expect from a partial cat. Even Kyo wouldn't cry in pain if he hurt his ankle," Akito said between bouts of laughter. Mishke stood up. For a second she wobbled, but regained her balance. Facing Akito, she said:

"For one thing, I'm not Kyo. And secondly, I'm not crying in pain; these tears are tears of rage. If you weren't weak looking, I wouldn't hesitate to hit you." Akito immediately stopped laughing, and Mishke's stepfather slapped her.

"How dare you talk to the head of the family like that!" he yelled down at Mishke, who was on the ground once more. Mishke looked up at her stepfather fearlessly. She would no longer fear him; the only reason she had dealt with his abuse was because of the worry of having her secret revealed. But she was no longer alone; she had Kyo, and there were other members of the Zodiac as well.

"The only thing we have similar is our last name. I will not listen to Akito, or you, any longer. I am not bound by the curse; those who are bound to are so because of the way they grew up. Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, the only reason they fear you is because they were raised to. Why should I fear a brat that takes out his anger on those around him?" Akito burst. He fell on Mishke, slapping, punching, and doing all he could to hurt or kill Mishke. But he forgot about what separated her from the rest of the Zodiac. When he came in too close, Mishke threw her arms around Akito, and there was a puff of smoke. When the clouds cleared, Akito saw a flash of fur hobbling up a flight of stairs. He began to run after it, but Hatori, who had been silent till then, held him back.

"No, Akito, you must calm down! That's not why you brought her here; you wanted to talk to her and Kyo about something. Kyo will be here soon, and then you can talk." Akito snarled and swiped at Hatori, causing him to let go. Akito then sprinted up the stairs after Mishke.

Mishke was cornered. The only escape was through a window, but she had already turned back to a human, and didn't want to hump from the second story with her bad leg. There was nowhere to hide, and Mishke turned towards the door to face Akito. Akito was full of anger and rage, that much was obvious. Mishke backed up until she reached the window, with Akito coming closer and closer with each step. Soon, Akito's face was inches from Mishke's. Mishke stared back, eyes flashing. There was silence until Akito spoke.

"You are not needed. There is already a cat; another is not needed. I suppose my predecessor didn't want to kill an infant, but look at the trouble it caused. But I'll say it once more: you are not needed."

"Whether I am needed or not is beside the point. I am here, whether you like it or not. If I feared you, would you hate me? Or would you still see me as dirt beneath your feet?" Akito's eyes narrowed. Before Hatori could reach Akito, he had pushed Mishke through the window.

Kyo saw Mishke fall. Coming in through the secret entrance, he was about to run across to the main house when he saw the car Akito had pulled out of the school parked in front of a small, isolated building. Tohru, who had just crawled through, pointed to a window at the top.

"Kyo-kun, look up there!" Mishke was leaning against the window, and Akito was slowly approaching. The glass must have been knocked out, for it lay scattered about on the ground. Then Mishke fell. She fell with Akito watching, and landed with a sickening thud. Kyo ran to her, not hearing Tohru crying, wiping away his own hot tears. When he approached Mishke, her eyes were closed, and she was bleeding. Gathering her in his arms, Kyo looked up at Akito, who was staring down at them through the window. Kyo shook Mishke softly.

"Mishke? Mishke? Are you" there wasn't a reply, not even a slight moan. Kyo shook her again, harder. "Mishke! MISHKE!!! WAKE UP!"

End of chapter four


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